HopeHopeJeremiah did not just preach doom and gloom. He told the people to hope in God,

who would restore them.Christians must never lose all hope. Our belief in Jesus Christ gives us hope for the

future.

HopeHopeFor thousands of years, using his wit and charm, man had tried to be friends with God. And for thousands of years he had let God down more than he

had lifted him up.

HopeHopeHe's done the very thing he promised

he'd never do. It was a fiasco. Even the holiest of the heroes sometimes

forgot whose side they were on.

HopeHopeSome of the scenarios in the Bible look more like the adventures of Sinbad the

sailor than stories for vacation Bible school. Remember these characters?

HopeHopeAaron: Right-hand man to Moses. Witness

of the plagues. Member of the "Red Sea Riverbed Expedition." Holy priest of God. But if he was so saintly, what is he doing leading the Israelites in fireside aerobics

in front of the golden calf?

HopeHopeThe sons of Jacob: The fathers of the

tribes of Israel. Great-grandsons of Abraham. Yet, if they were so special, why were they gagging their younger brother and sending him to Egypt?

HopeHopeDavid: The man after God's own heart. The

King's king. The giant-slayer and songwriter. He's also the guy whose

glasses got steamy as a result of a bath on a roof. Unfortunately, the water wasn't his, nor was the woman he was watching.

HopeHopeAnd Samson: Swooning on Delilah's couch,

drunk on the wine, perfume, and soft lights. He's thinking, She's putting on something more comfortable. She's

thinking, I know I put those shears in here somewhere.

HopeHopeAdam adorned in fig leaves and stains

of forbidden fruit.Moses throwing both a staff and a

temper tantrum. King Saul looking into a crystal ball for the will of God. Noah,

drunk and naked in his own tent.

HopeHopeThese are the chosen ones of God? This is the royal lineage of the King?

These are the ones who were to carry out God's mission?

HopeHopeIt's easy to see the absurdity.

Why didn't he give up? Why didn't he let the globe spin off its axis?

HopeHopeEven after generations of people had

spit in his face, he still loved them. After a nation of chosen ones had stripped him naked and ripped his

incarnated flesh, he still died for them.

HopeHopeAnd even today, after billions have

chosen to prostitute themselves before the pimps of power, fame, and wealth,

he still waits for them.

HopeHopeIt is inexplicable. It doesn't have a drop of

logic nor a thread of rationality.And yet, it is that very irrationality that gives

the gospel its greatest defense. For only God could love like that. (From God Came Near by Max Lucado)

HopeHopeDo this project with someone close to you:

spend an hour on your own making a list of all God has done for you. Then share together and rejoice in his goodness and

faithfulness. (Max Lucado Devotional Bible)

HopeHopeProverbs 13:12 NET Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is

like a tree of life.

HopeHopeIsaiah 40:31 NET But those who wait for the

LORD's help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eagles'

wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired.

HopeHopeJeremiah 29:11 NET For I know what I have

planned for you,' says the LORD. 'I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future

filled with hope.

HopeHopeRomans 15:13 NET Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the

Holy Spirit.

HopeHopeHebrews 11:1 NET Now faith is being sure of

what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.

Expect To Be PersecutedExpect To Be PersecutedJudah's leaders had persecuted Jeremiah repeatedly for faithfully

proclaiming God's message. In this passage, the prophet was thrown into

a well to die.

Expect To Be PersecutedExpect To Be PersecutedA Cushite, Ebed-Melech, was willing to

stand up for Jeremiah and plead for his life.

Followers of Christ should expect to be persecuted. Commitment to God will

not always make life easy.

Expect To Be PersecutedExpect To Be PersecutedToday many of us think we are doing God a

favor when we tell another about Christ, even though we were commanded to do so. And we think we are suffering real

persecution when someone makes light of our faith.

Expect To Be PersecutedExpect To Be PersecutedThere are places in the world where Christians can still be jailed for sharing their faith or face the death penalty for leading a lost soul to Christ, but they

are few and far between.

Expect To Be PersecutedExpect To Be PersecutedMost people don't care what others

believe in, or if they believe in anything.

The Christian faith has become a cheap faith because we too often live as if it

has no value.

Expect To Be PersecutedExpect To Be PersecutedWe complain when the preacher runs

over a few minutes on the Sunday sermon and consider it a great

inconvenience to return to services once or twice more in the same week.

Expect To Be PersecutedExpect To Be PersecutedNo wonder so much of the world does

not consider our faith relevant when we are not even willing to give of our time, much less our freedom or lives,

for what we say we believe in.

Expect To Be PersecutedExpect To Be PersecutedThink about it. Have you ever been persecuted for sharing your faith in

Christ? Has your faith cost you anything? If not, perhaps you had

better re-examine your faith to see if it measures up.

(From Unto the Hills by Billy Graham)

Expect To Be PersecutedExpect To Be PersecutedAre you going through a difficult time

because of your faith in Christ? Do people look down upon you or exclude

you because of your faith?

Expect To Be PersecutedExpect To Be PersecutedDo you know some Christians who are

undergoing persecution or having particularly tough times? Pray for these people. Pray for strength to endure for

yourself and others, then band together with others in need. (Max Lucado Devotional Bible)

Struggles Struggles Mark 13:9 NET "You must watch out for yourselves. You will be handed over to

councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand before

governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them.

StrugglesStrugglesJohn 15:18 NET "If the world hates you, be

aware that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would

love you as its own.

StrugglesStrugglesHowever, because you do not belong to

the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.'

StrugglesStrugglesIf they persecuted me, they will also

persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours too. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of

my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.

StrugglesStruggles2 Timothy 3:10 NET You, however, have

followed my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love,

my endurance, 11 as well as the persecutions and sufferings that

happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra.

StrugglesStrugglesI endured these persecutions and the

Lord delivered me from them all. 12 Now in fact all who want to live godly

lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

StrugglesStruggles1 Peter 4:12 NET Dear friends, do not be

astonished that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as though

something strange were happening to you.

StrugglesStruggles13 But rejoice in the degree that you

have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you

may also rejoice and be glad.

StrugglesStruggles14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ,

you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, who is the Spirit of God, rests on

you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or thief or criminal or as a

troublemaker.

StrugglesStruggles16 But if you suffer as a Christian, do not

be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear such a name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin, starting with the

house of God.

StrugglesStrugglesAnd if it starts with us, what will be the

fate of those who are disobedient to the gospel of God? 18 And if the

righteous are barely saved, what will become of the ungodly and

sinners?

StrugglesStruggles19 So then let those who suffer

according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator as they

do good.

The Go-Between The Go-Between Ezekiel 22:30 NET "I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall

and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not

destroy it, but I found no one.

The Go-BetweenThe Go-BetweenPerhaps as you look at some of the

tragedies of the world—the armed conflicts, the political breakdowns, the crimes of injustice or indifference, the

ethical compromises

The Go-BetweenThe Go-Betweenyou wonder why some good and strong person cannot be found to lead the way

out of the trouble.The Lord wondered the same thing as He

surveyed wicked Judah. Having enumerated the sins of the people.

The Go-BetweenThe Go-BetweenHe told Ezekiel that He had searched in

vain for someone who could "stand in the gap" between their guilt and His

righteous wrath.

The Go-BetweenThe Go-BetweenNo worthy go-between could be found.

This search recalls Jeremiah's futile attempt to locate even one righteous person whose presence would save

the city.

The Go-BetweenThe Go-BetweenNeither among the poor nor the leaders

was there a single individual who was not guilty of departing from God's

ways.

The Go-BetweenThe Go-Between

Ultimately, only Christ is righteous enough to serve as the go-between to

connect a holy God and sinful humanity.

1 Timothy 2:5 NET For there is one God and one intermediary between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, himself

human, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, revealing God's purpose at his appointed time.

The Go-BetweenThe Go-BetweenHebrews 9:15 NET And so he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance

he has promised, since he died to set them free from the violations committed

under the first covenant.

The Go-BetweenThe Go-BetweenApart from Him, none of us would be free of

God's wrath, for all of us have sinned.Romans 3:21 NET But now apart from the law

the righteousness of God (which is attested by the law and the prophets) has

been disclosed

The Go-BetweenThe Go-Between22 namely, the righteousness of God

through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The Go-BetweenThe Go-Between24 But they are justified freely by his

grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God publicly displayed

him at his adeath as the mercy seat accessible through faith.

The Go-BetweenThe Go-BetweenThis was to demonstrate his

righteousness, because God in his forbearance had passed over the sins

previously committed.

The Go-BetweenThe Go-Between26 This was also to demonstrate his righteousness in the present time, so that he would be just and the justifier

of the one who lives because of Jesus' faithfulness.

The Go-BetweenThe Go-BetweenHowever, because Jesus took on Himself the judgment for our sin, we can have unimpeded access to God.

The Go-BetweenThe Go-BetweenWe can also act as go-betweens in the

troubles around us, "standing in the gap" to bridge chasms of indifference

and oppression.

The Go-BetweenThe Go-BetweenWe can do what we can to stem the tide

of evil and tell others of the opportunity to know God through Christ. And we

can intercede for others in prayer. (Word

in Life Study Bible)

Only JesusOnly JesusOur only Hope is in Jesus. Has our Faith

in Him made others take notice. Even to the point of ridicule or suffering?

Jesus is our only Hope because He is the only Go-Between giving us access

to God The Father.